Pikas typically live at higher elevation, around 7500 feet, but the pikas in the Columbia River Gorge are thriving at the lowest elevation for pikas anywhere in the country. This makes them particularly interesting for scientists studying climate change. Erik Beever is a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He says studying a species at the edge of its habitat range helps us understand the factors (like temperature and vegetation) that allow the animals to live where they live, and how those factors could be shifting.

And the animal’s cuteness is an asset for researchers like Beever. He’s enlisted the help of Columbia Gorge hikers in spotting pikas as part of a comprehensive study to determine their distribution in the gorge.